I built a lot of transmissions, rear ends, and steering gears with a deflecting-beam in/lb wrench. You just need to get good at watching the needle, as there's no tattletale indicator on that type of wrench. It would be fairly simple to snug a zip-tie loosely around the indicator bar and get a good guesstimate of the needle deflection, though! Check Ebay for good condition used torque wrenches. When I needed a certified calibration torque wrench for my insurance investigation work, I found a great-condition Snap-On wrench and got it certified for less than half the cost of a new one. Just shop carefully!
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!